Report shows Women staying longer in shelters

New data released from the YWCA Calgary says that women are now using shelter services for much longer that they have in the past six years.

According to a release, women who use shelter facilities are also bringing their children with them to escape their situations.

The YWCA completed a study on the YWCA Sheriff King Home Emergency Shelter.

The average length of stay has increased from 14 nights in 2002-2004 to 17 nights in 2006-2010.

The demographics of the women that use the shelter have also changed:

The number of Aboriginal women in the shelter rose from 32% in 2002 to 41% in 2010

The number of visible minority women staying in the shelter rose from 14% in 2002 to 25% in 2010

64% of the women using the shelter in 2010 were unemployed, compared to 42% in 2002

The YWCA also says that 70% of the women using the shelter had children with them, and 73% had experienced physical abuse.

They say that the 42 beds in the Sheriff King Home are consistently filled and they’ve been forced to turn away over 29,000 because of a lack of space.

“We can’t help all those who experience family violence, but we can and do make a difference to the women and children coming through our doors. We have an opportunity to make a difference for generations to come,” says Suzanne Shust, manager of Shelter Services at Sheriff King.